AIS to host leading swimming science forum

The Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) recently formed part of a successful bid to host the XII International Symposium on Biomechanics and Medicine in Swimming in 2014 (BMS 2014).

The AIS, in partnership with Swimming Australia, the John Curtin School of Medical Research and the Canberra Convention Bureau, won the rights to host the event, which will be the first time in its 40-year history that the BMS will be held in the Southern Hemisphere.

The Institute's detailed proposal and reputation for hosting congresses and conferences convinced the Symposium's steering group that the AIS was best placed to deliver a high quality program in Canberra in 2014.

AIS Head of Aquatic Testing, Training and Research, Dr Bruce Mason, was instrumental in ensuring the international symposium was secured for Canberra. Mason travelled to Oslo to table the bid, about which he states "to secure an international event of this standing is a wonderful achievement for everyone involved in putting our proposal together.

"The success of our proposal would not have been possible without the strong support of the Canberra Convention Centre, Swimming Australia, the Australian Government, the ACT Government and the John Curtin School of Medical Research at the Australian National University.

"One of the major reasons the BMS2014 conference was given to Canberra was the high standard of aquatics research conducted here. The new technology pool at the AIS is regarded internationally by aquatics scientists as a premier international aquatics research laboratory as well as an excellent training facility for elite swimmers."

The Symposium is expected to bring more than 500 delegates to Canberra.

Image: The Australian Institute of Sport's aquatic centre. Courtesy of Ceramic Solutions.